Strikes continue in region as ambulance and hospital staff walk out
There is more strike action around the region as ambulance staff down tools and join the picket line.
Members of the Unite union are at the picket line today, with ambulance staff from the Dudley Ambulance Hub on Burton Road joining colleagues across the country on strike.
West Midlands Ambulance Service said it would still respond to the most urgent calls during the day.
Unite members at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust will also be involved in industrial action, with people asked to ring 999 only in emergencies and check the symptom checker at NHS 111 online at 111.nhs.uk if they are unsure of which service to use.
At the Dudley Ambulance Hub, there were around 10 members of staff outside, holding placards which read "Save our NHS" and flying Unite Union flags and clapping together Unite Union clappers, while motorists driving by sounded their horns in support.
Unite Representative for West Midlands Ambulance Service Jason Kirkham said he was disappointed that the ambulance workers were back out on strike and said he felt the offer from the government wasn't sufficient.
He said: "They've offered a non-consolidated lump sump and five per cent moving forward for 23/24, which falls well below the current inflation levels that we're seeing.
"Nobody wants to strike, especially staff in the NHS as it's the last thing we want to do, but it's the only thing that the government seems to listen to at the moment.
"The response from the public has been really strong, with lots of noise, and we've had donations given to us to keep our spirits high.
"What we want the impact of these strikes to be is for the government to come back and re-negotiate a deal that is in line with inflation and gives the NHS staff what they deserve."
A member of staff at the protest, who wanted to remain anonymous, spoke of the effect that inflation was having on him.
He said: "I'm going to shops right now and seeing a pot of gravy has gone up from £1.50 to around £4, which is just ridiculous.
"I'm out here to try and get a fair pay rise and support my colleagues."
The ambulance strikes follow on from a day of strike action at hospitals in Birmingham, where members of the Royal College of Nursing staged a 28-hour strike over pay, which ended at midnight last night.
The strike action affected University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust in the region.
But it did not affect Wolverhampton’s New Cross Hospital, Sandwell General Hospital, Dudley’s Russells Hall Hospital and Walsall Manor Hospital.
Royal College of Nursing general secretary Pat Cullen said on Sunday that measures were in place to keep patients safe after concerns were raised about the impact of the strike action on emergency services.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay has said the 28-hour nursing strike is “premature” and “disrespectful” to other unions.
The comments come ahead of a meeting of the NHS Staff Council, made up of health unions, employers and Government representatives, which will discuss the Government’s pay offer.
